Safety Training Videos Reduce Workplace Accidents with Education

Entering the ranks of “accident free workplace” is often as simple as making sure your staff receives effective education on safety regulations and practices, and one of the most effective ways to accomplish this task is by utilizing safety training videos. There are several reasons why using safety training videos in the workplace can increase your chances of worker compliance and subsequently reduce workplace accidents:

Seeing AND hearing doubles your chances of retaining information: Studies on memory and information retention show that people retain more information when they both see and hear it. While a safety lecture alone may be somewhat effective, a safety training video or DVD combines two sensory elements that will double the chances that the information that is presented will be remembered by staff after they walk out the door and into the factory or industrial area.
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Driving To Work Safely Is Often Overlooked

It about a common of a practice as you can get. Jump in the car and head off to work. No big deal right?

Even with a city commute, which many drivers don’t like, it’s still something you get used to as an everyday thing.

But did you know the most dangerous place for your workers was on the road to and from work?

Statistics show that someone dies in a motor vehicle accident every 11 minutes of the day. Someone get’s injured on average about every 18 seconds! That seems hard to imagine until you see how an accident can happen. The author of this article witnessed a head on collision on a state highway that took the life of a 19 year old young woman, and crippled the driver of the other car.

In this particular case one of the drivers became distracted when his kids began acting up in the back seat. In a split second he crossed the center line going 55 mph and before he could correct the error the two cars hit head on. It was a horrific thing to witness.

When we talk about safety with our workforce, driver safety is often overlooked. Yet, just because the accidents don’t occur in the workplace doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reviewed to help improve the safety of every worker.

It’s a good idea to remind employees that during their commute, some simple practices can save lives.

• Buckle up and wear your seat belts and remind your passengers to do the same.
• Work on remaining focused while driving, keeping your eyes on the road and watch out for trouble spots before it’s too late to react. Of particular note here would be while going through intersections or passing another vehicle.
• Stay at least 3 to 4 seconds behind a vehicle in front of you.
• Change your speed and adjust to road and weather conditions.
• Leave early from home and allow a reasonable buffer in time to avoid hurrying or speeding to work.
• And do not text while driving!

And being alert doesn’t always mean your behind the wheel.

• While walking, be extra careful in high traffic areas and don’t assume other drivers see you clearly. Remember what mom always used to say? Look both ways before crossing the street.
• Be cautious on wet or slippery sidewalks or if visibility is limited.
• In unfamiliar areas, stay with a group of people rather than traveling alone if it all possible.

If you use public transportation to get to and from work be sure to follow common sense safety guidelines there as well.

• Watch your step getting on and off the bus or train.
• Stay well back from the loading platform on the vehicle’s arrival.
• Sit near the driver or conductor if possible when the train has only a few passengers.
• Sit up and remain awake and alert while traveling.

Like many safety issues or mistakes, the root cause of many is simply a lack of awareness or attention while traveling. With a bit of training, awareness can be greatly improved and with practice, all workers can learn to travel more safely in there daily commutes.

The Fundamentals of Chemical Safety

When you think of chemical safety, you probably conjure up images in your head of guys in protective suits and gas masks in nuclear plants or scientists in a chemistry lab. While it’s true that some jobs may involve regular, even daily exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals, chemical safety awareness is important for everyone, wherever they work or live. In fact, more chemical accidents happen in the household than in the workplace, simply because people who don’t work regularly with chemicals are less aware of the hazards that they pose, and may be unfamiliar with proper storage, handling, and disposal methods.
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OSHA Safety Training Keeps Pace

OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has a mammoth task, considering there are millions of employers and businesses in the United States. Since OSHA’s mandate is to govern the safety and protection of every worker in the U.S. from workplace accidents, it must find effective ways of communicating with employers and employees alike and making its resources readily available and easily accessible. With new technologies emerging every year, OHSA must constantly evaluate the market and identify what it takes to keep America’s workers safe.

Both OSHA and its counterpart NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) were created as a result of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. This act guarantees safety in the workplace for every citizen in the United States. NIOSH’s mandate involves research into creating safer workplaces, while OSHA’s mandate involves writing policies which govern workplace safety, as well as providing training and education to employers/managers and employees, and ensuring compliance with federal safety regulations in every workplace in America.
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Environmental Safety Training

More companies recognize the significant impact environmental safety program has on a workers’ health and efficiency while reducing compensation costs. Environmental concerns reinforce economic issues. Realizing that earth resources may be limited, it is crucial that environmental concerns are linked to the way they drive needs and capabilities. Conducive growth that ensures prosperity for future generations involves consideration of common interests, as economical development needs to be driven by equally important environmental concerns.

External effects that impact on safety involve combining education and collaboration that is part of management responsibility to ensure that proper policy is exercised. Such safer practices also affect ecology, as through monitoring vital issues better protection of workers and environment can be achieved.

Environmental safety training involves procedures that cover employees from exposure to dangerous chemicals. These procedures, according to OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) involve preparation of the inventory of all chemicals, ensuring that employees have sufficient information at their workplace and can recognize chemical hazards while taking appropriate protective measures. Employees should have the knowledge of science that involves hazards associated with chemical materials. They should also read and understand information that explains basic concepts of flammability, ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity and toxicity while recognizing carcinogens and chemicals used at work.

Hazardous waste training is required in all jobs that handle such waste and employees must be familiar with managing it and responding to emergencies. Wastes need to be identified, handled according to procedures, prepared appropriately for shipment, and the way wastes manifest.

Workers’ training is crucial in the ability to compete as part of international economy. When safety is assured, other aspects of production values, such as quality, convenience and variety can also be implemented. The knowledge of chemicals that workers are dealing with and their location can only be learned through training. Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., uses practical solutions to improve safe working practices. Their employees are tested on the job, which provides the best indication of their knowledge. The formal safety and environmental training has also been recognized to be vital at Will-Burt (Orrville, Ohio).

Environmental safety training is associated with additional costs and difficult to implement by small companies. Free consulting can be obtained from state agencies, such as INSafe. Through accident investigation topics, hazard recognition, and other safety issues, workers as well as supervisors can gain knowledge online as well as through courses. Free reference materials can provide the essential information while investing in safety that reduces workplace injuries and illnesses. Certificates provided during consulting through SHARP proved to lower injury rates and compensation premiums.

Environmental safety concerns raise American Army training in Hawaii. Fires and unexploded bombs are deemed to present threat to the environment that is home to various endangered species and cultural sites. Despite claims that there is no threat to public and health safety, some are concerned about contamination and other health hazards associated with training. Local group, Malama Maluka is not just a green activist group but as the Hawaiian native population tries to enforce studies of endangered species by military defense training. Despite the assurance of modifying military training there were further protests regarding the army presence.

Efforts to promote environmental safety training programs over the Internet may be impeded by concerns that such information may be dangerous if used by terrorists. While information is widely used on the Internet, there may be changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to limit the availability of certain information on the Web. Whether environmental safety information poses risk to Americans is debatable and some argue that such information should simply be carefully selected and analyzed.

Are Safety Inspections Necessary?

Safety inspections can be a nuisance. They can for example, slow down production in a factory, delay service at a restaurant, cost money to manufacturers out of compliance and inconvenience consumers in many ways. Despite these annoyances, inspections save lives, and reduce injuries and illnesses across industries. In fact in some industries such as food service and production statistics suggest that food born illnesses are greatly reduced by the judicious use of inspections.

According to the USDA, incidences of contamination at food processing plants is down for both Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli, both leading causes of food born illness. For example, illness contracted from Listeria monocytogenes was down 32% in 2006 (http://fsis.usda.gov). In the United States it is estimated that 5,000 people will die every year as a result of improperly handled food which suggests that there is a significant need for safety inspections in food service.

Another area where safety inspections can and do save lives is in the workplace. The organization that oversees safety inspections in the United States OSHA, reports that deaths due to hazards in the work place are down from a rate of 5.2 per 100,000 workers in 1992 to 4.0 in 2005 (http://bls.gov/iif/oshwe/cfoi/cfch0004.pdf). Safety inspections in the workplace examine biological and chemical contaminates, equipment safety, building safety and maintains records on incidences for each industry. These inspections can save someone’s life and while they are often inconvenient to industry, may well be worth the cost.

Inspections by fire departments and building inspectors likewise save lives and reduce the loss of property. For instance, fire inspectors routinely use a checklist of critical items that include hazardous conditions such as exposed wiring, improper storage of flammable materials, blocked fire exits, absent of improperly maintained fire extinguishers and fire detectors. In addition a multiple storied building will need fire escapes with a sturdy ladder. While a landlord may feel unfairly penalized if their cited for a missing light bulb in an exit sign, a victim of a fire in the landlord’s building may appreciate being able to see the lighted sign in a smoke filled hallway.

Auto safety is another area where inspections can directly save lives and reduce injuries. Vehicle inspection for example insure that cars are equipped with good working brakes, functional safety belts, reliable steering and adequate tires and headlights. There are countless reports of accidents directly influenced by all of these safety features. Still many motorists feel that safety inspections are a waste of time and money and in some states such as Colorado are no longer mandatory. Despite the easing on inspections, driving an unsafe vehicle can lead to tickets and fines, and in the event of an accident the driver of a faulty vehicle may be held liable. In this case safety inspections would result in less risk of an accident and culpability for an accident. Safety equipment for automobiles such as a child’s car seat should also pass rigorous testing. An unprotected or inadequately protected child is at a greater risk of injury in an accident so stiff inspections and standards only make sense. When it comes to child safety playground equipment should also be regularly inspected.

Safety inspections do result in additional expenses and inconveniences to industry and the consumers alike, but they are designed to save lives and they often accomplish that goal. When weighing cost against human lives and safety, they are well worth the expense.